Low-boron acclimation induces uptake of boric acid against a concentration gradient in root cells of Olea europaea
Sotiria Stavrianakou A , Georgios Liakopoulos A B , Evangelos Karvonis A , Evangelia Resta A and George Karabourniotis AA Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, Botanikos 11855, Athens, Greece.
B Corresponding author. Email: g_liak@aua.gr
Functional Plant Biology 33(2) 189-193 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP05097
Submitted: 26 April 2005 Accepted: 26 August 2005 Published: 3 February 2006
Abstract
Low concentrations of boron (B) in the external medium can induce uptake mechanisms whereby plants can develop a concentration gradient for B against the external medium. These mechanisms seem to be widespread among herbaceous species. In this study, olive (Olea europaea L.) plants were acclimated to either high (23 μm; controls) or low (0.5 μm; low-B plants) concentrations of B for 45 d, in a hydroponic culture. Afterwards, a 7-h uptake experiment was conducted by transferring plants of both groups to a series of nutrient solutions with B concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 23 μm. Analysis of B concentration in cell sap of root and xylem exudate was performed by the borate–chromotropic acid HPLC assay. Plants acclimated to high-B concentration showed root cell and xylem exudate B concentrations that were comparable to those of the external medium. In contrast, plants acclimated to low-B concentration were able to develop concentrations of B in root cells up to 2-fold higher than those of the external medium. Moreover, B concentrations in xylem exudate for both plant groups corresponded to those of the root cell sap, indicating diffusion equilibrium. These results support the existence of a mechanism that concentrates B in the root cell sap against the nutrient solution when olive plants are acclimated to low-B conditions.
Keywords: chromotropic acid, HPLC assay, olive tree, root cell sap, xylem exudates.
Acknowledgments
We thank Mr G Kostelenos (Kostelenos Olive Nurseries) for supplying the plant material.
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